Ship with a ton of methamphetamine fugitive in four countries

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said a ship the Wanderlust allegedly carrying a ton of methamphetamine had been a fugitive in four other southeast Asian countries.

"The Wanderlust is a target of operation by four countries over the past two months," Sri Mulyani said at the Jakarta police headquarter on Thursday.

She said President Joko Widodo had even passed order to detain the ship, a fugitive in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

Head of the public relations of the Jakarta police Sr. Comr Argo Yuwono said police investigators have examined the ship radar to ensure its route up to the Sunda strait, Banten.

Police have also explored the entire contents of the ship to ensure that the evidence is secured in the Taiwanese ship.

Meanwhile, the Deputy for Eradication of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Insp. Gen. Arman Depari said the countries, through the waters of which the ship had sailed, had been informed about the ship allegedly carrying 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Arman said the southeast Asian countries receiving the information included Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Information made available to police said the methamphetamine was believed to be produced by an international narcotics syndicate in the Thai Mekong river.

On Wednesday night last week, Jakarta and Depok police shot dead a drug lord from Taiwan Lin Ming Hui believed to be the owner of a ton of methamphetamine and caught three other suspects -- Chen Wei Cyuan, Liao Guan Yu and Hsu Yung Li at the pier of Hotel Mandalika Anyer in Serang, Banten.

The suspects said the drug was sent via the sea using the Wanderlust, which was finally detained by the customs officers in the sea off Tanjung Berakit, regency of Bintan in the Riau Island province in early dawn of Saturday.